Theorising police professionalisation and academic education

The paper explores the role of academic education in police professionalisation by placing it within a theoretical framework of sociology of professions. Police can be argued to display many of the qualities of professions but has lacked their characteristic level of ‘instructional abstraction’ provided by higher education and leading to externally recognised qualifications. Academic education bestows a rich cultural capital, strengthens and legitimises police expertise, market monopoly, and status. It enables the survival of the profession, giving it the tools to prevail in conflicts over competence and the right to define and interpret policing. The paper argues that that police professionalisation via academic education can be understood in terms of both the agency and structure: as a deliberate occupational upgrading spurred by social and economic aspirations, aimed to reconceptualise and relegitimise policing and as an inevitable development emerging out of the broader social changes

Leading sustainability in higher education

The paper presents preliminary findings from a small-scale research project on the experiences and changing identities of ‘ESD leaders’ in HE context. The key aims is to explore three interconnected ‘stories’ of 1) participants’ personal relationship with sustainability, 2) their experience of leading a specific sustainability focussed project, and 3) their conceptualisation of sustainability leadership and identity as an ESD leader. This is done via five narrative interviews with academics involved in ESD projects with curricular/pedagogic focus. The narrative approach reflects the conceptualisation of both sustainability and leadership as a ‘narrative enterprise’ involving meaning- and sense-making (Simkin, 2005; Handy, 1989) and ‘re-storying’ required for deep transformation (Herrick & Pratt, 2013). Theoretically, the project draws from and contributes to several areas of inquiry, including ‘general’ leadership studies, leadership research within HE context, particularly the increasing focus on distributed and informal leadership (e.g. Juntrasook et al, 2013; Bolden, Petrov & Gosling, 2008ab, 2009; Gosling, Bolden & Petrov, 2009), the broad education for sustainable development literature and the emerging sustainability leadership research

Police and higher education

The paper reports on a small pilot study which explored the above themes through semi-structured interviews of police officers and staff with higher education experiences

Criminology picks up the gauntlet: responses to the Whole Earth exhibition

The Whole Earth? exhibition (http://www.hardrainproject.com/) currently hosted by several institutions of higher learning in the UK, Scandinavia and Australia, including Canterbury Christ Church University. The exhibition comprises of over 60 meters of images and text, reflecting on the consequences of our unsustainable living practices but crucially also seeks solutions and ways to enact positive change by issuing ‘university challenges’ relating to various disciplines. Criminology/criminal justice, while not mentioned by name in the exhibition challenges, includes various theoretical approaches (e.g. critical criminology, zemiology, green criminology and public criminology) with clear sustainability links. More broadly, issues of inequality and injustice (and ways of addressing them) can be linked to the four areas of environmental, social, economic and cultural sustainability (UNESCO, 2005). Indeed, Agyeman and colleagues (2003: 3) note how “justice and sustainability are intimately linked and mutually interdependent, certainly at the problem level and increasingly at the solution level.” The project seeks to facilitate responses to the Whole Earth? exhibition hopefully moving toward concrete actions and behaviours. The more direct approach involves various reflective activities and focus groups, using the exhibition as a key stimulus to thinking about criminology/criminal justice links to sustainability and what the discipline and its students, both as a group and individually, can and should do. The ‘photo blogging’ activity allows students to draw the connections to their local context and encourages them to develop a ‘critical lens’ through which to view the issues of (in)justice and (in)sustainability in their own communities. This is particularly important as the exhibition images and text focus mostly on the developing world, the photo blogging The project adheres to and seeks to further Education for Sustainable Development approaches and principles (UNESCO, 2004; HEA/QAA, 2014). It is explicitly values-driven and collaborative (students as co-authors of any dissemination of results). It is authentic (i.e. relating to real-world issues and experiences) and locally relevant, facilitating interdisciplinary thinking and critical problem-solving. The project also provides an opportunity for experiential learning (particularly through photo blogging) and greater engagement of students with their local communities. This both links to and expands the formal curriculum and in so doing encourages critical reflection on sustainability and justice (ibid, Cotton & Winter, 2010; Willmore & Tweddell, 2014). The hoped for long-term impacts include increased awareness of sustainability and justice among students that will hopefully last beyond the University as well as assist in on-going efforts to embed sustainability into the curriculum

Unpacking the Blue Box: structure, control and education in policing

Research addressing the relationship between Higher Education (HE) and police officers tends to fall into one of three camps. First, that which explores the relationship between police institutions and academic institutions, second, those which explore the appropriateness of the HE setting for the delivery of police-specific knowledge, and, finally, research which investigates the impact of police higher education engagement upon police officer attributes and practice (Brown. 2018. Do graduate police officers make a difference to policing? Results of an integrative literature review. Policing: a journal of policy and practice, policing, 1–22. doi:10.1093/police/pay075). Thus far, little research has discussed the impact HE has on the relationship between officers and the police organisation. This research, derived from interviews with 31 police officers who undertook in-service degrees, explores police officers’ engagement with HE study and the consequent changes to their perception of their relationship with the profession. This is contrasted with the relatively unchanged structural and cultural expectations the organisation places on officers regardless of their newly acquired graduate status as reported in the extant literature (Hallenberg and Cockcroft. 2017. From indifference to hostility: police officers, organisational responses and the symbolic value of ‘in-service’ higher education in policing. Policing: a journal of policy and practice, 11 (3), 273–288). The discrepancy can be explained through the recent scholarship on public sector isomorphism and the police’s transformation into a hybrid organisation (Noordegraaf. 2015. Hybrid professionalism and beyond: new forms of public professionalism in changing organizational and societal contexts. Journal of professions and organization, 2, 187–206), as well as the competing knowledge paradigms within policing (Williams and Cockcroft. 2018. Knowledge wars: professionalisation, organisational justice and competing knowledge paradigms in British policing. In: L. Huey, and R Mitchell, eds. Evidence-based policing: an introduction. Bristol: Policy Press, 131–141). Importantly, however, the current paper takes this discussion deeper. It argues that the police’s unique role in serving not just the public but also state interests inevitably shapes and constrains the process of professionalisation, the relationship between the police and HE, and officers’ ability to use knowledge and skills gained through HE study

"It's just some numbers": Awareness of far-right tattoos

Whilst information and legislation around the practice of tattooing and associated health risks (PHE, 2013) is readily available, the ethics of tattooing, particularly the ethics of supporting customers to understand the meaning of their tattoos, is less so. Tattoos that convey a hidden meaning are prevalent among far-right groups (Birkett 2021) and identification of such symbols is widely utilised in combatting extremism (e.g. CTPHQ 2021, ADL 2022). Crusader imagery (Koch 2017), memes and meme culture (Bogerts and Felitz 2019 & De Crook 2018), Viking or Norse iconography (Miller-Idriss 2017) and punk aesthetic (Raposos and Bentley 2020) have all been associated with the far-right. However, none of these studies look at the process of being tattooed, determining the meaning of their proposed tattoo, or the role of the tattooist.    This paper reports preliminary findings of phase one of a project on seeking to address these questions. A sample of ~250 university students were surveyed about their own tattoos and meaning behind them, before asked to interpret the meaning behind different symbols, some overtly or covertly associated with extremist groups, and their suitability as tattoos, looking at the aesthetic appeal of the symbol as well as the meaning

Beyond crime: justice and sustainability in the classroom and community

Criminology and criminal justice are not perhaps the most immediately obvious disciplinary hosts for embedding ESD. Yet, specific theoretical approaches (critical criminology, green criminology, zemiology and public criminology) within them illustrate clear overlaps with the sustainable development agenda. Perhaps the most explicit connections between criminology and sustainability are made via the concept of justice. Agyeman and colleagues (2003: 3) note how “justice and sustainability are intimately linked and mutually interdependent, certainly at the problem level and increasingly at the solution level.” Issues of inequality and injustice (and crucially, ways of addressing them) can be linked to the four areas of environmental, social, economic and cultural sustainability (UNESCO, 2005). The paper reflects on how such considerations have been introduced into criminology and criminal Justice curriculum by way of a new and innovative module ‘Criminology for a Just Society’. The pedagogical approach adopted is explicitly interdisciplinary and student-centred. The learning, teaching and assessment strategies of the module were developed in close collaboration with the students, facilitating a strong sense of commitment and ownership. Service learning through volunteering placements and assessment embedding critical reflection and knowledge exchange have helped facilitate transformational learning for all involved. The paper reflects on the student and staff experiences from the first year of ‘Criminology for a Just Society’, focusing on the benefits and challenges of learning beyond familiar disciplinary and classroom contexts, and the more enriched and connected understanding of criminology and sustainability developed as a result

The Lake of the Avernus and its Elusive Mystery

Includes bibliographical reference

The Tangping Washing Can: A symbol of purity and ethnicity for the Hui Muslims in China

No abstrac

Aikuisten neurologisten asiakkaiden saumaton hoitoketju Länsi-Uudenmaan alueella

Aikuisten neurologisten asiakkaiden saumaton hoitoketju Länsi-Uudenmaan alueella Vuosi 2011 Sivumäärä 75 Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli selvittää aikuisten neurologisten asiakkaiden saumaton hoitoketju Länsi-Uudenmaan alueella. Tavoitteena oli kerätä kyselylomakkeiden avulla tietoa neurologisten potilaiden hoitoketjussa ilmenevistä ongelmakohdista sekä toimivista kohdista. Pyrimme myös tulosten pohjalta löytämään toimintamalleja Länsi-Uudenmaan alueelle. Työn on tilannut Länsi-Uudenmaan Neurologinen verkosto ja opinnäytetyö on osa laajempaa tutkimuskokonaisuutta. Opinnäytetyön teoriaperustana on aikuisten neurologisten sairauksien hoitoketju sekä siihen liittyvät ongelmakohdat ja toimivat käytänteet. Kohderyhmä koostuu seuraavista sairauksista, häiriöistä ja vammoista: epilepsia, Parkinson, CP-vamma, MS-tauti, aivohalvaus/afasia, lihasrappeumatauti sekä asiantuntija näkökulmana omaishoitajat. Tutkimus toteutettiin puolistrukturoidulla kyselylomakkeella. Kyselylomakkeita lähetettiin kaikkiaan 502 kpl, joista 342 kpl lähetettiin postitse ja loput sähköisessä muodossa. Vastanneita oli yhteensä 98, joista jouduimme hylkäämään kolme kpl epäselvien vastausten vuoksi. Vastaukset tallennettiin sähköiseen Digium- tietokantaan. Vastaukset analysoitiin sisällönanalyysillä sekä ristiinvertailulla yli 5 vuotta ja alle 5 vuotta sitten sairastuneiden kesken. Tutkimustulosten mukaan neurologisen asiakkaan hoitoketjun toimivuudessa on ongelmia sairauteen liittyvässä tiedon saannissa ja ohjauksessa, myös lääkäriaikojen puute koettiin hankalana hoidon onnistumisen kannalta. Vastanneiden kokemusten mukaan kuntoutus ei ollut onnistunut, koska kuntoutussuunnitelmia ei ole kaikille tehty ja heidän kohdallaan hoito ja kuntoutus eivät olleet onnistuneet. Erikoissairaalanhoidon palvelut todettiin joustaviksi, mutta vastaajien mukaan perusterveydenhuollon puolella hoitoonpääsy oli hankalaa eikä oireita tunnistettu. Vastaajat olisivat kaivanneet henkistä tukea enemmän ja omaishoitajien jaksamiseen toivottiin lisää tukea. Tutkimuksessa todettiin, että henkilökunta on ollut ammattitaitoista ja ystävällistä hoitotilanteissa, myös asiakkaat ovat tienneet keneen tai mihin tahoon ottavat yhteyttä sairauteen liittyvissä asioissa. Omalääkäritoiminta koettiin hyväksi sairauden jatkohoidon kannalta. Kehittämiskohteiksi ilmeni neuvojen ja ohjeiden riittävä saanti sairauden alusta lähtien. Henkistä tukea tulisi tarjota asiakkaalle tehokkaammin. Kehittämistarpeeksi toivottiin myös Kansaneläkelaitoksen toiminnan nopeuttamista kuntoutuspäätöksiä haettaessa sekä omaishoitajien jaksamisen tukeminen. Asiasanat: neurologia, hoitoketju, hoitopolku, moniammatillisuusUninterrupted local care path of adults with neurological illnesses in the Western Uusimaa Year 2011 Pages 75 The purpose of this thesis was to study the local care path of adults with neurological illnesses in the Western Uusimaa region of Finland. The goal was to obtain information by using a questionnaire form, and thus find out what are the problems in the chain of care, as well as determine the good practices. On the basis of the results, we aimed to find good work practices for the health care system of Western Uusimaa. This thesis was commissioned by Länsi-Uudenmaan Neurologinen verkosto (the neurological network of Western Uusimaa), and it was carried out as a part of a larger group of studies. The theory basis of this study was the local care path of adults with neurological illnesses, as well as the associated problems and good practices. The target group consists of patients with the following illnesses or disabilities: epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, stroke or aphasia, muscular dystrophy. In addition, an expert perspective was obtained from family carers. The study was conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire survey. A total of 502 questionnaire forms were sent out, of which 342 were sent by mail and the rest in electronic form. A total of 98 replies were received, of which 3 had to be left out due to unclear responses. The replies were recorded in the electronic Digium database, and they were analyzed through content analysis and by cross-referencing the results of the patient group that had been diagnosed over 5 years ago, and the results of the group that had been diagnosed less than 5 years ago. The conclusion was that there were problems with obtaining illness-related information and guidance within the clinical pathway for neurological patients, Long doctor’s appointment wait times were also seen as detrimental to the success of the treatment. According to the respondent’s replies, the rehabilitation had not always been successful. The treatment and rehabilitation of patients who had not received a rehabilitation plan had not been successful. The services of special health care were regarded as flexible, but, according to the respondents, getting appropriate care from the ordinary health care providers was difficult, and the patient’s symptoms were not recognized accurately. The respondents would have desired more psychological support with the illness, as well as more support to ensure the wellbeing of the patients' family carers. According to the respondents, the staff had been professional and friendly during visits to hospitals or health care centers, and that patients had known, who or where to contact with illness-related matters. With regard to ensuring good continuous treatment, the personal doctor system was also seen as a positive thing. It was concluded that the most important areas of development were receiving adequate information and advice from the very beginning. Psychological help should also be offered to patients more efficiently. According to the respondents, issues that also needed improvement were the slow Rehabilitation coverage decisions of Kela - The Social Insurance Institution of Finland - and the support given to family carers. Keywords: neurology, clinical pathway, care path, multidisciplinar